Sen. Barack Obama told voters worried about illegal immigration yesterday that deporting 12 million people is not "realistic," calling it an "honest conversation" during one of his final stops while trying to make inroads with Pennsylvania's blue-collar workers.

A man asked the presidential hopeful what he would do about border security. In his response, Mr. Obama posed the question about what to do with the people here illegally, prompting someone in the audience of his town hall forum to shout "Send them home!"

"We are not going to send them home," the Illinois Democrat argued. "I want us to have an honest conversation about this."

Mr. Obama said many illegals have "settled," "bought property" and have children who are U.S. citizens. He said the country would have to devote "all our law enforcement resources to rounding up people without papers, even if they weren't causing any trouble," and once that's done, the country would have to "empty out our jails."